Join Gwen Kelly, Host and Founder of Combating Cancer, a podcast focused on strength, resilience, and hope. Creating a space where people can share their personal cancer journeys—whether that involves navigating treatment, celebrating remission, or honoring the memory of a loved one.
Season Two, Episode 3- Show Notes:
Host Gwen Kelly of Combating Cancer, diagnosed at 19 with stage three astrocytoma brain cancer and now nearly five years out, describes feeling unexpectedly alone even when surrounded by loving family, friends, and her fiancé. She explains this isn't loneliness from lacking people, but from others being unable to fully enter the parts of her cancer experience, especially the persistent fear of having to "do it all again" and become "Cancer Gwen" rather than just Gwen. She discusses guilt for feeling scared while living a good life, arguing gratitude can coexist with grief and trauma. Gwen recounts anxiety triggered in unrelated medical settings, like a shoulder surgery consult, showing her body remains on alert. She asks how to live with fear of recurrence without losing the life she rebuilt, emphasizing that you can hold both fear and happiness and aren't broken for feeling it.
Discussed in this episode:
Welcome to the Podcast
Feeling Alone in Love
What That Loneliness Is
Fear of Doing It Again
Guilt and Gratitude
The Random What If
Doctor Office Triggers
Healing Is Not Linear
Living With Fear
Holding Both and Closing
More from Gwen:
Get in touch with our team for sponsorship inquiries or guest host submissions: gkelly@assethr.com
Follow and join the community:
Website: https://www.combatingcancer.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CombatingCancer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/combating-cancer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BwfwuJT81/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/combatingcancer_?igsh=azNjM3RlcmJwcWxn
14 Oct 2026
There Is Light at the End of the Tunnel: Alex Fenn's Cancer Story
Season Two, Episode 2- Show Notes:
Host Gwen Kelly, a stage three astrocytoma brain cancer survivor, welcomes Alex Fenn for Breast Cancer Awareness Month to discuss Alex's breast cancer journey and life after treatment. Alex shares finishing four rounds of TC chemotherapy (Taxotere and Cytoxan) and starting a 10-year daily medication regimen due to hormone-positive cancer that induces medical menopause, alongside ongoing follow-ups and another planned surgery after her double mastectomy with reconstruction. She and Gwen discuss coping with anxiety, fear of recurrence, drastic physical changes (hair loss/regrowth, weight and skin changes, loss of sensation, clothing fit), and mourning a pre-cancer identity. Alex describes shifting friendships, building online community, marriage challenges and strengthened connection through caregiving, unexpected chemo side effects like food aversions, and encouragement that there is light at the end of the tunnel and cancer is not a life sentence.
Discussed in this episode:
Welcome to the Podcast
Meet Alex from TikTok
Life After Treatment
Body and Identity Changes
Strength and Friendship Shifts
Marriage and Caregiving
Chemo Side Effects and Food
Chemo Schedule and Milestones
Fear of Recurrence
Rebuilding Confidence and Hair
Advice and Closing Thoughts
Final Wrap Up
More from Gwen:
Get in touch with our team for sponsorship inquiries or guest host submissions: gkelly@assethr.com
Follow and join the community:
Website: https://www.combatingcancer.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CombatingCancer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/combating-cancer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BwfwuJT81/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/combatingcancer_?igsh=azNjM3RlcmJwcWxn
7 Oct 2026
Look How Far We've Come
Season Two, Episode 1- Show Notes:
Host Gwen Kelly introduces season two of the Combating Cancer podcast and reflects on how it began from her own experience of being diagnosed with a brain tumor at 19 after a grand mal seizure on March 6, 2022. She recounts emergency imaging, learning the diagnosis before her father arrived, and undergoing an eight-hour surgery with Dr. Grant, followed by pathology initially read as stage four and then regraded to stage three astrocytoma. Gwen describes fertility preservation decisions, 30 days of proton radiation at Mayo Clinic, a year of oral temozolomide, the emotional complexity of treatment and survivorship, and ongoing MRIs every 90 days. She explains how sharing her story, involvement with brain cancer advocacy, and 73 season-one episodes shaped a community centered on the mission that no one should fight cancer alone, and previews season two expansions including more guests, educational content, short-form videos, guides, blogs, and vlogs.
Discussed in this episode:
Season Two Begins
Why I Started
The Seizure Day
MRI & Diagnosis
Dad Arrives
Surgery & Pathology
Treatment & Growing Up
Life After Treatment
Building The Microphone
How The Podcast Grew
What Season One Taught
Season Two Vision
Welcome To Season Two
More from Gwen:
Get in touch with our team for sponsorship inquiries or guest host submissions: gkelly@assethr.com
Follow and join the community:
Website: https://www.combatingcancer.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CombatingCancer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/combating-cancer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BwfwuJT81/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/combatingcancer_?igsh=azNjM3RlcmJwcWxn
Who has been a guest on Combating Cancer
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Anthony Pecorella
Tiffanie Thomson
Ashley Saaranen
Sue Dettinger
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
353
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
91
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
32
Contact Combating Cancer
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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